11 Incredible Facts About The Global Coffee Industry

Flickr - filmvanalledagCoffee is more than popular: it's ubiquitous. No other beverage is as revered or respected. It can be seen in offices, during commutes, and on kitchen counter tops worldwide.

Coffee exporting alone is a $20 billion dollar industry, mostly consumed by industrialized nations while being produced by the world's underclass. It's so beloved today, you would never know drinking coffee once carried the death penalty.

"Fair trade" coffee is still a small portion of the market, but it is the most popular fair trade commodity in the world

"Fair trade" coffee was instituted to provide growers with better conditions and a higher cut of the profit.

Under fair trade rules, the coffee importer has a direct relationship with the grower, and pays more to maintain that relationship. Prices fluctuate, but most recently coffee farmers in fair trade cooperatives got $1.26/pound for their Arabica coffee, while regular coffee prices were around $0.70 to $0.90.

BONUS: In the beginning, coffee was blamed for riots, seditious speech and Satan worship

Coffee wasn't always so popular. Originally discovered in Ethiopia, coffee has been banned in places like Cairo, Egypt and Turkey, where repeated offenders were allegedly sewn into a leather bag and tossed into the ocean.